Bottle cap



Nov. 27, 1951 A. G. EDWARDS BOTTLE CAP Filed Nov. 16, 1948 INV'ENTOR A Zberg! G..E'dwa rds ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE BOTTLE CAP Albert G. Edwards, Diamond Springs, Calif., assignorto Mero Co. Inc., Modesto, Calif., a corporation of CaliforniaApplication November 16, 1948, Serial No. 60,359

7 Claims. (01. 215-45) The cap is especially useful for bottles havingcarbonated beverages or the like therein. I Anotherobject of theinvention is to provide a novel bottle cap which can be placed on, or.removed from, a bottle with ease and by hand; the cap, when in place,effectively and positively sealing the bottle against fluid leakage.

A further object of the invention is to provid a bottle cap which can bemanufactured eco-' nomically, and mainly of plastic, by reason of itssimple design. f f An additional object of the invention is to provide abottle cap which is attractive in appearance, and of a convenient sizefor read manipulation.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a bottle cap whichincludes a novel combination of a sealing gasket, locking fingers,gasket clamp? ing dome, and a retention and actuating ring. A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a practical bottle cap, and onewhich will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it isdesigned.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged plan view of the novel Fig. is a cross section online 5-5 of Fig. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of one of the lockingfingers, detached.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the novel bottlecap; comprises a circular sealing gasket l ofsubstantial thickness, and of a diameter slightly greater than thediameter of the bead; 2 on the upper end of the neck 3 of aconventional" bottle for beverages or the like. This sealing gasket isof a heavy-duty, resilient material, such as rubber.

A gasket clamping dome 4 is seated on top ofthe sealing gasket I, andsaid dome includes, at its lower end, an annular, radially outwardlyextending flange 5, which flange 5 projects beyond the periphery of saidsealing gasket I. At a plurality of equally circumferentially spacedpoints, the flange 5 is increased in height, where by to form integralsegmental spacers 6.

Each portion of the flange 5 is fitted, between the adjacent spacers 6,with a locking finger,

indicated generally at 1, which is constructed and mounted as follows:

Each locking finger comprisesan arcuate head 8 having an inwardlyopening, arcuate notch The outer edge of each locking finger I isinclined downwardly and outwardly to form a cam ID, and above said camthe outer end bottom portion of the head 8 forms a downwardly facingshoulder ll. At the lower end of each locking finger 1, and below thecam l0, there is an outwardly projecting stop lug i2. The inner edge ofeach locking finger I is formed, intermediate its ends, with an inwardlyprojecting nub l3 disposed some distance below the bottom of the sealinggasket l.

Directly below each notch 9, the inner edge of the locking finger 1abuts firmly against the periphery of the sealing gasket l.

The locking fingers I, as circumferentially.

spaced about the dome 4, with the notched heads 8 engaging overcorresponding portions of the flanges 5, are retained in place by aretention and actuating ring which surrounds the assembly, with theinner surface of such ring bearingagainst the outside of the heads 8.

The retention and actuating ring l4 includes, at the bottom, an annular,radially inwardly projecting flange l5, of short extent, which engagesbeneath the shoulders of said locking fingers I.

Skirts l6 depend from the portions of the flange 5 which form thespacers 6, whereby said depending skirts l6, which are arcuate, extendbetween adjacent ones of the locking fingers 1.

The assembled cap, when released, has the parts thereof in the positionsindicated in Fig. 3,

wherein the shoulders ll of the locking fingers 1 rest on top of theflange l5, and'at which time the locking fingers 1 are spaced apartsufficient 3 to permit the cap to be engaged easily on the upper end ofthe neck 3 of a bottle, and for the nubs l3 to pass downwardly below thebead 2 of said neck 3. See Fig. 3. Thereafter, the retention andactuating ring I4 is manually grasped and pressed downward so that theflange l5 lowers with respect to the locking fingers I. When thisoccurs, the flange riding the cam edges l0, which incline downwardly andoutwardly, causes the locking fingers to be swung inwardly so that thenubs i3 grip under the bead 2 of the: bottle neck 3 in the mannerindicated in Fig.v 4.

This efiectively locks the cap in place on the neck of the bottle, andat the same time places'the sealing gasket l under compressionbetweenthe clamping dome 2 and said bead 2, sealing the bottle againstfluid escape. The sealing gasket lis. placed under compression by reasonof downwardly and inwardly inclined cam edges H- on the inside of saidfingers above the nubs 13; such cam edges riding under the roundedbead2, whereby the fingers are pulled downwardly to compress the gasket. y

The notches 9 receive the corresponding portions. of the flange 5 withsuflicient' loose play topermit the locking fingers'to swing inwardly,as

above.

The stop lugs t2 assure that the retention and, actuating ring 14 cannotbe slid downward off the locking fingers l, while-the shoulders llprevent upward escape of said ring.

To release the cap, it is only necessary to slide the ring M relativelyupwardly, whereupon the locking fingers l are sprung outwardly bythecomp'ressed sealing gasket l, and to a position wherein the nubs 13can readily pass the bead 2 i. e. the starting position of the-cap, asin Fig; 3.

The skirts 16, which depend between the locking fingers l, prevent anysplashing orsquirting laterally of the cap at the instant of its release7 from the bottle neck.

Itwill benoted that gasket I includes depending skirts 18 matchingand'lapping skirts [6 as clearly shown in Fig. 5. These skirts l8enhance the. sealing action of the gasket andpositively prevent any ofthe beverage in. the capped bottle from splashing out andenteringthe-working parts of the device. w

The-above described bottle. cap-is a device which is simple in itsconstruction, economical. tomanu facture and yet extremely practical andconvenient for its intended purpose. 1

From the foregoing description it-wi-ll be readily seen thatthere has"been produced a devicethat substantially fulfills the objects-oftheinvention, asset forth herein. V

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and-preferredconstruction of the device,v still in practice such deviations-from suchdetail may be resorted, to as do. not form a departure from the spiritof. the invention, as defined by the appended claims. 4

Having thus described the invention,. the following is claimed as newand. useful and upon: which Letters Patent are desiredi y 1. A bottlecap comprising a circular sealing gasket, a clampingmember seatedon thesealing gasket, a plurality of circumferentially spaced lockingfingerslooselymounted on the clampingv member at the periphery anddepending there-1 fromabout the sealing gasket, said fingers having nubsprojecting inward therefrom in spaced relation below the sealing gasket,a ring normally surrounding the locking fingersforwrela ward uponrelative downward motion of said ring; the fingers including heads ontheir upper end, the heads being within the ring and having inwardlyopening notches, and the clamping member engaging at its periphery insaid notches.

2. A bottle cap comprising a circular sealing gasket, a clamping domeseated on the sealing gasket, a plurality of circumferentially'fispacedlocking fingers loosely mounted on the dome at the periphery anddepending therefrom about the sealing gasket, said fingers having nubsprojecting inward therefrom in spaced relation below the sealing gasket,a ring normally surrounding the locking fingers for relative up and downmotion, and-means between the fingers and ring arranged tourge thefingers inward upon relative downward motion. of said ring; the domeincludtiye up and downmotion, and meansbetween the,

fingers and ring arranged to urge the fingers in ing a radiallyoutwardly projecting flange at the bottom, the upper portions of thefingers being notched and receiving said flange therein.

3; A bottle. cap comprising a circularsealing gasket; av clamping 'dome:seated on the sealing gasket; a plurality of 'circumferentially spacedlocking fingers loosely mounted. on the dome at the periphery and.depending therefrom about the sealingigasket,saidlfingers having nubsprojecting inward therefrom'in spaced relation below the sealing gasket,a ring normally surrounding. the locking fingers for relative up anddown motion, and means between the-fingers and ring'arranged. to urgethe fingers, inward upon. relative downward motion of said. ring; thedome including a radially outwardly projecting flange at the: bottom,the upper portions of the fingers being: notched and receiving saidflange therein, and the fingers bearing against the periphery of thesealing gasket, the latter being of compressible ma terial. 1

4. A bottle cap comprising; a circular" sealing: gasket of compressiblematerial, a clamping; dome seated on the sealing, gasket, the domeincluding a radially outwardly proiecting annularfiange at its: lowerend extending beyond the periphery of the gasket, a plurality ofcircumferentially' spaced locking fingersabout and depending below thegasket, said fingers including heads on their upper end" notched-andengaging ever the. flange on the clamping dome, nubs projecting inwardfrom the fingers-in spaced relation belowthe gasket, an; actuating andretention ring. surrounding the fingers, the heads; on the fingersforming,

5. A bottle cap'comprising a circular seal-ing gasket: of compressiblematerial, a clamping dome seated onthe sealing gasket, thedome,"including a-radially outwardly projecting annular flange at its lowerend extending beyond the periphery-of the gasket, a plurality ofcircumferentially-spaced locking fingers about and depending below thegasket, said fingers including heads ontheir uppfir end notched andengagingover the flange on. the clamping. dome, nubs projecting inwardfrom the fingers in spaced relation below the gasket, anactuating andretention. ring surroundingv the finger s, the. heads on the fingersforming downwardly facing outside shoulders, afra'dially inwardlyprojecting flange on the-ring, below and initially engagedby 's aidshoulders, and down.- w'a y and outwardly inclined cam edges on the.

outside of the fingers belowsaid shoulders where? by the flange on thering, when relatively lowered,

rides said cam edges and urges the fingers inwardly.

6. A bottle cap comprising a circular sealing gasket of compressiblematerial, a clamping dome seated on the sealing gasket, the domeincluding a radially outwardly projecting annular flange at its lowerend extending beyond the periphery of the gasket, a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced locking fingers about and depending below thegasket, said fingers including heads on their upper end notched andengaging over the flange on the clamping dome, nubs projecting inwardfrom the fingers in spaced relation below the gasket, an actuating andretention ring surrounding the fingers, the heads on the fingers formingdownwardly facing outside shoulders, a radially inwardly projectingflange on the ring below and initially engaged by said shoulders, andmeans between said flange and fingers operative to urge the latterinward upon relative downward motion of the ring; the flange on theclamping dome being increased in thickness between the heads so as tomaintain proper circumferential spacing of the fingers.

'7. A bottle cap comprising a circular sealing gasket of compressiblematerial, a clamping dome seated on the sealing gasket, the domeincluding a radially outwardly projecting annular flange at its lowerend extending beyond the periphery of the gasket, a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced locking fingers about and depending below thegasket, said fingers including heads on their upper end notched andengaging over the flange on the clamping dome, nubs projecting inwardfrom the fingers in spaced relation below the gasket, an actuating andretention ring surrounding the fingers, the heads on the fingers formingdownwardly facing outside shoulders, a radially inwardly projectingflange on the ring below and initially engaged by said shoulders, anddownwardly and outwardly inclined cam edges on the outside of thefingers below said shoulders whereby the flange on the ring, whenrelatively lowered, rides said cam edges and urges the fingers inwardly;there being downwardly and inwardly inclined cam edges on the inner edgeof the fingers above the nubs but below the gasket.

ALBERT G. EDWARDS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 835,366 Purcell Nov. 6, 19061,441,742 OBrien Jan. 9, 1923 1,545,227 Baltzley July 7, 1925 1,862,620Graham June 14, 1932 2,045,480 Magnesen et al June 23, 1936 2,421,356Saffady May 2'7, 1947 2,439,845 DeSwart Apr. 20, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 446,612 Great Britain May 4, 1936

